Search Results for: China

BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Damascus

FOLLOWING a sizeable reduction in import duties last year, Syria’s fledgling car market has grown by up to 60% in under a year.

A mere decade ago Syria’s roads were full of ageing cars, such as 1950s and 1960s Chevrolets, Dodges and Plymouths that were either lovingly maintained or had had one paint job too many.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE REIMPOSITION of quota limits last year on some Chinese textile products has driven official overseas sales down, according to European Commission figures. During the first quarter of 2006, China saw an overall decrease in exports to the EU of minus 12% in volume, although unit prices increased by 9%.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

URBANISATION in developing countries will inflate demand for meat and processed foods generally from this year to 2015, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has predicted. In a new ‘Agricultural Outlook’ written with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the OECD says "growing market opportunities in certain developing countries" (notably Brazil, China and India) will cause a "shift in production and export of farm commodities away from [developed] OECD countries and more towards other developing economies".…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Amman

JORDAN is undertaking a root and branch reform of its higher education sector to better match the needs of its economy and regulate the burgeoning private sector.

With no statistics on the number of students enrolled in specific subjects, the country’s ministry of higher education is working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on a study to better coordinate the needs of the market and graduating students.…

BY JANE MOIR, in Hong Kong

TAIWAN’S paint and coatings industry is holding steady as the economy remains solid and demand for high-quality products increases, although smaller players are finding it tougher to compete in a market dominated by a few big firms.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

CHINESE exporters have been fraudulently routing clothing and textile exports via Hong Kong and South Korea to evade quota limits imposed last year, following the ‘bra wars’ spat with the European Union (EU). Swedish government figures claim Hong Kong clothing and textile exports to the EU rose by 234% in the past year, which would mean every Hong Konger was employed in the textile industry.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

CHINESE exporters have been fraudulently routing clothing and textile exports via Hong Kong and South Korea to evade quota limits imposed last year, following the ‘bra wars’ spat with the European Union (EU). Swedish government figures claim Hong Kong clothing and textile exports to the EU rose by 234% in the past year, which would mean every Hong Konger was employed in the textile industry.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE LATEST annual report from European Union (EU) anti-fraud agency OLAF has told how an unnamed Caribbean customs authority cancelled proof of origin certificates covering more than 21 million pieces of knitted textiles (mainly jerseys, pullovers and cardigans).…

BY KEITH NOYAHR, in Colombo

AIRLINE operators this week reviewed security at Sri Lanka’s Katunayake International Airport (KIA) days ahead of resuming night flights – suspended for two months since air attacks by the Tamil Tigers.

Its air defence has been made fully operational while Indian experts upgraded the radar system recently after the separatist Tigers in March dropped bombs from Czech-built ZLIN Z 143 aircraft on the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) base, adjoining the airport.…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut

STRONG demand for leather luggage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is lining the pockets of tanners in Italy, Pakistan and Thailand.

According to a recent global online survey by marketing data company AC Nielsen, the UAE ranks among the top five countries worldwide for luxury branded luggage bags.…